Social Worker

Summary This position provides clinical case management and intervention support to Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) Program in a shared, team oriented, recovery-based program. The Social Worker independently provides clinical psychosocial treatment and ongoing-case management services at an advanced practice level to eligible Veterans and their family members. Responsibilities The Social Worker independently provides clinical psychosocial treatment and ongoing-case management services at an advanced practice level to eligible Veterans and their family members to meet biological, psychological, social, and environmental needs in obtaining and maintaining subsidized permanent housing. This position spends 80%-100% of the time providing direct-patient care. Major duties include, but not limited to: Intensive - The Social Worker works with the Veteran to obtain clinical stability. At a minimum, weekly face-to-face home visits are required, but even more frequent interactions may be needed. Stabilization - The Social Worker supports the Veteran in managing their housing responsibilities and their physical, mental health, and substance use disorders. The Social Worker assists the Veteran on addressing those issues that are most likely to lead to housing instability. At least twice a month face to-face home visits are required, with additional interactions as needed. Maintenance - The Social Worker ensures that needed treatment, support, and mentoring assistance is provided to the Veteran and continues after placement in housing. Face-to-Face home visits need to occur at least once every month. Once the Veteran demonstrates stability, independence, and improved coping skill use and recovery other interactions, such as phone calls, may be included. Preparation for Discharge - The Social Worker provides case management services to the Veteran in their home, community, or at the medical center. During this phase, face-to-face contacts occur at least quarterly and the focus of case management address steps towards graduation from case management, and/or discharge planning. Graduation/Discharge - Veterans who no longer need the case management services of a Social Worker and are no longer required to participate in case management. The Social Worker provides annual contact to the Veteran to ensure they are housed and no longer need to participate in case Work in a high-stress environment, possibly in austere conditions or an emergency setting Treat or provide direct patient care within the requirements of practice/privileges/licensure Participate in CDT training activities and demonstrate readiness to apply professional skills to a range of emergency situations Ensure qualifications and required certifications are maintained, including Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification Maintain CDT physical readiness requirements, vaccinations, and safety precautions related to infection control The Senior Social Worker selected for this position will need to have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, especially in crisis intervention and working with an interdisciplinary team. They will be using short-term, solution focused counseling with individuals and families who may be in crisis as well as providing education and referral for resources and benefits, case management, and post-intervention follow-up. Provides psychosocial treatment; Independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members. Formulates and implements a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary treatment team. Independently provides a full range of assessment and evaluation services appropriate to the care setting. Works with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues to include patient's decision-making capacity regarding health care; Develops treatment plans to address the needs of patients. Creates plans of action to ensuring assessment and crisis intervention services are maximized based on circumstances and availability of resources. Conducts crisis intervention strategies, including assessment and diagnosis. Conducts outreach to vulnerable populations, including disadvantaged areas. Identifies impacted Veterans and connect them with VA and community resources. Assists with contacting hospitals or other relevant locations to locate medical records or emergency documentation The Social Worker may conduct and participate in outreach activities including field interviews, assessments and referrals for homeless Veterans contacted in the community, shelters, and on the streets, as well as those who are referred by VA residential programs, medical centers, or outpatient clinics. The Social will perform othe Work Schedule: Monday -Friday, 7:30am - 4:00 pm May vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs Travel: Up to 50% may be required. Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statemen t#: 01065F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination and maintain CDT physical readiness. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Master's degree in Social Work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the school of social work is fully accredited. Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED Licensed or certified Senior social worker must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. NOTE: A COPY OF YOUR LICENSE/CERTIFICATION IS REQUIRED Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. Experience: At least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment and are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. References: VA Handbook 5005/Part II/Appendix G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require regular travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who aid and support to the HUD-VASH Program and its Veterans. Must be able to lift 10 to 15 pounds, drive a GSA Vehicle, climb stairs, and regularly be out in the community in the local weather. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA at vacofairchanceact@va.gov. Applicant written complaints should include the following:- Administration name: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)- Office name, employee name and contact information or contractor who made contact (if known).- Date of contact.- Details regarding the job opportunity announcement applied to, and copies of any documents or other evidence related to the complaint.- Visit Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) for more information.